The revolution in Egypt began a day before I was to departure towards Alexandria. Despite that fact the boat left Venice and headed towards its first stop in Tartus in Syria. I remember that all the people on the board were very conscious of the changing political landscape and for the whole days we were following up-to-date briefings on the situation. In the meantime the Egyptian borders were closed, there were army and thousands of people on the streets. This was it. I had to change the route of my journey. I couldn't quite believe that I wouldn't go to Egypt and what that meant I wouldn't see the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Suez Canal, the Pyramids and the Nile. Missi...

But the incredulous Stuart was not convinced, and when the hand was finished, said eagerly: "You have a strange way, Ralph, of proving that the world grown smaller. So because you can go around in three months-"- "In eighty days," interrupted Phileas Fogg.- "That is true, gentlemen," added John Sullivan. "Only eighty days, now that the section between Rothal and Allahabad, on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, has been opened. Here is the estimate made by the Daily Telegraph:-

From London to Suez, by rail and steamboats 7 daysFrom Suez to Bombay, by steamer 13 daysFrom Bombay to Calcutta, by rail 3 daysFrom Calcutta to Hong Kong, by steamer 13 daysFrom Hong Kong to Yokohama, by steamer 6 daysFrom Yokohama to San Francisco, by steamer 22 daysFrom San Francisco to New York, by rail 7 daysFrom New York to London, by steamer and rail 9 days

Total 80 days.

- "Yes, in eighty days!" exclaimed Stuart. "But that doesn't take into account bad weather, contrary winds, shipwrecks, railway accidents, and so on."- "All included," returned Phileas Fogg.- "But suppose the Hindus or Indians pull up the rails," replied Stuart; "suppose they stop the trains, pillage the luggage vans, and scalp the passengers!"- "All included," calmly retorted Fogg.- Stuart went on: "You are right theoretically, Mr. Fogg, but in practice-"- "In practice also, Mr. Stuart."- "I'd like to see you do it in eighty days."- "It depends on you. Shall we go?"- "Heavens preserve me! But I would wager four thousand pounds that such a journey, made under this conditions, is impossible."- "Quite possible, on the contrary," returned Mr. Fogg.- "Well, make it, then!"- "The journey around the world in eighty days?"- "Yes."- "I should like nothing better."- "When?"- "At once. Only I warn you that I shall do it at your expense."- "It's absurd!" cried Stuart, who was beginning to be annoyed at the persistence of his friend. "Well, Mr. Fogg," said he, "it shall be so: I will wager the four thousand pounds on it."- "Calm down, my dear Stuart," said Fallentin. "It's only a joke."- "When I say I'll wager", returned Stuart, "I mean it."- "All right," said Mr. Fogg; and turning to the others, he continued, "I have a deposit of twenty thousand at Baring's which I will willingly risk."- "Twenty thousand pounds!" cried Stuart. "Twenty thousand pounds, which you would lose by a single unforeseen delay!"- "The unforeseen does not exist," quietly replied Phileas Fogg.- "But, Mr. Fogg, eighty days are only the estimate of the least possible time in which the journey can be made."- "A well-used minimum is sufficient."- "But, in order not to exceed it, you must jump mathematically from the trains upon the steamers, and from the steamers upon the trains again."- "I will jump - mathematically."- "You are joking."- "A true Englishman doesn't joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager," replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. " I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes, that I will go around the world in eighty days or less; in nineteen hundred and twenty hours, or a hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred minutes. Do you accept?"- "We accept," replied Messrs. Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flanagan, and Ralph, after consulting each other.- "Good," said Mr. Fogg. "The train leaves for Dover at a quarter before nine. I will take it."- "This very evening?" asked Stuart.- "This very evening," returned Phileas Fogg. He took out and consulted a pocked calendar, and added, "As today is Wednesday, the second of October, I shall be due in London, in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the twenty-first of December, at a quarter before nine p.m., or else the twenty thousand pounds, now deposited in my name at Baring's will belong to you, in fact and in right, gentlemen. Here is check for that amount."